Ruling PDPs Central Kashmir MP Tariq Hameed Karra on Thursday resigned from the party both as basic member and the party lawmaker. He said his conscience is unable to support him further as his party has created new records of spilling Kashmir blood and now locked mosques and shrines on RSS demand on Eid, a phenomenon that has happened for the first time more than a century later.

“I tried my level best to protect PDP as a political buffer but I was mocked at by political toddlers and the paratroopers,” Karra said, “Now it stands reduced from facilitator to collaborators and in last two months it has resorted to things it was inherently opposed to.” He said the RSS has used the party to resort to Nazi type actions against the very people, who elected us, and has now entered into an arena in which it dictates into the religious affairs of the Kashmiri Muslims.

Reading out a long well-written statement detailing the making of PDP and its goals, Karra said that the party was a change-maker while helping people to articulate their aspirations. He said the people gave the party enough of support that led the party to win all the three seats in Lok Sabha and emerges as the first largest party in the state.

“We got mandate against the RSS mechanisations and the fascist policies that Sangh represented,” Karra said, “Despite my advice, they opted for North Pole-South Pole alliance knowing it well that this is only possible on the Day of Judgment.” Karra said it cost the party a lot as it facilitated BJP to achieve things in six months which it had failed to achieve in sixty years. “When I raised voice against the RSS-BJP opening offices and Shakhas, Ms Mehbooba Mufti said India is a free country and it cannot stop anybody from having an office.”

Karra said that for the last more than a year people are asking him questions to which he has no answer. They are asking about the human rights, self rule, return of power projects, resuming talks between India and Pakistan, and the fate of political slogans. “What happened to the Party’s slogan of “Grenade se na goli se, baat banaygi boli se”?” Karra asked, “What happened to the philosophy of battle of ideas, which has turned into battle against ideas today?”

PDPs vocal MP who has been a finance minister earlier said his party was protesting the closure of mosques on Fridays and now it is doing the same and in fact going beyond. He said various mosques and shrines were literally locked by the government to prevent people from praying on Eid. He said his party was against the pellets but when it assume power it started using more lethal ammunition on people. He accused his party of misusing Public Safety Act, breaking all records of corruption. “My head would go down in shame on all these questions,” Karra insisted, “as I have no explanation to offer to these just queries.”

Karra said he cannot take it any longer. “My heart is bleeding and my soul is crying for the people of my homeland,” Karra said. “Hence taking a call of my conscience and as a mark of protest on moral grounds against the brutal policies of BJP at center and State Governments complete sell-out and surrender before them.”

The MP who was termed to be king slayer for defeating Dr Farooq Abdullah said RSS has used PDP “to resort to Nazi type actions against the very people, who elected us, and has now entered into an arena in which it dictates into the religious affairs of the Kashmiri Muslims.” Insisting that the fascist forces were keen to brutalize Kashmir further, Karra accused Prime Minister Modi of “hand twisting attitude and imperialistic methods towards Kashmir issue”. He said his “criminal silence” is adding fuel to fire in Kashmir.

Karra asked his counterparts that the entire flock is “placed at a very critical juncture and by remaining silent would be equivalent to facilitate the fascist forces for more death and destruction and decimation of our distinct identity”. He asked them to follow his footsteps.

Asked which side he was going now, Karra said the question was misplaced because anybody and everybody should try to help save Kashmir from the bloodletting regardless of which side of the ideological divide people are.

Asked why he proposed Ms Mufti’s name as party leader that eventually led her to become the Chief Minister, Karra said he had no choices. “I only preferred a lesser evil.”

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Kashmir Life was launched in 2009 as a weekly with an avowed objective to create a world class news product for Kashmir and about Kashmir. Given the changes in the news market in which the larger events becomes crunchy bites on TV or snippets to suit a reader-in-hurry, we practice an exhaustive, in-depth and narrative form of journalism on issues concerning various facets of life in Kashmir.